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Outputs (11)

Interpreting UK legislatures: an introduction (2024)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Bevir, M. (online). Interpreting UK legislatures: an introduction. Journal of Legislative Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2024.2345038

The purpose of this special issue of the Journal of Legislative Studies is to explain and understand the era of profound change that has affected, and continues to impact, UK legislatures. This is an era of special change, wrought by the phenomena of... Read More about Interpreting UK legislatures: an introduction.

Why the beliefs of parliamentarians matter: an interpretive approach to legislative studies (2024)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Bevir, M. (online). Why the beliefs of parliamentarians matter: an interpretive approach to legislative studies. Journal of Legislative Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2024.2345035

In this article, we argue, following the interpretive approach, that parliamentarians’ beliefs, and the intellectual traditions on which they draw matter. Parliamentary behaviour and legislative practice is the contingent product of the historically... Read More about Why the beliefs of parliamentarians matter: an interpretive approach to legislative studies.

Brexit and the Labour Party: Europe, cosmopolitanism and the narrowing of traditions (2021)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2021). Brexit and the Labour Party: Europe, cosmopolitanism and the narrowing of traditions. British Politics, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41293-021-00168-6

The phenomenon of Brexit is reordering British politics. Its effects have led to political and cultural shock, disruption and rifts. This article explores how the phenomenon of Brexit has decentered the Labour Party’s ideational traditions. The artic... Read More about Brexit and the Labour Party: Europe, cosmopolitanism and the narrowing of traditions.

Divided by values: Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party and England's 'North-South Divide' (2020)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Hickson, K. (2020). Divided by values: Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party and England's 'North-South Divide'. Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique, 24(2),

This article explores the sociocultural divide in England exposed by Brexit. The metaphors of ‘North’ and ‘South’ are used to explain this, where the former is seen as more culturally conservative and the latter as more cosmopolitan. We examine the... Read More about Divided by values: Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party and England's 'North-South Divide'.

The place of human rights in the foreign policy of Cameron's Conservatives: Sceptics or enthusiasts? (2019)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Munce, P. (2019). The place of human rights in the foreign policy of Cameron's Conservatives: Sceptics or enthusiasts?. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 21(1), 116-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148118819066

The purpose of this article is to explain the place of human rights in the foreign policy thinking of David Cameron’s Conservatives (2005–2016). The article asks three interrelated questions: First, what role has human rights come to acquire in inter... Read More about The place of human rights in the foreign policy of Cameron's Conservatives: Sceptics or enthusiasts?.

From Technocratic Pragmatism to the Developmental Market: Conceptualising the Politics of Brexit in Terms of the Rivalry of Two Different Political Economies (2018)
Journal Article
Lee, S. (2018). From Technocratic Pragmatism to the Developmental Market: Conceptualising the Politics of Brexit in Terms of the Rivalry of Two Different Political Economies. Marmara Journal of European Studies, 26(1), 51-74

At the 5 June 1975 European Community referendum, England voted 68.7% in favour of the United Kingdom staying in the European Community (common market), making it the most Europhilic of the nations of the United Kingdom. On the 23 June 2016, England... Read More about From Technocratic Pragmatism to the Developmental Market: Conceptualising the Politics of Brexit in Terms of the Rivalry of Two Different Political Economies.

Humanitarian intervention and foreign policy in the Conservative-led coalition (2013)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Oliver, T. (2014). Humanitarian intervention and foreign policy in the Conservative-led coalition. Parliamentary affairs, 67(1), 102-118. https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gst024

This paper examines the role of humanitarian intervention as a tool of foreign policy in the Conservative-led Coalition. The first section of the paper provides historical context and assesses the traditional approaches to humanitarian intervention a... Read More about Humanitarian intervention and foreign policy in the Conservative-led coalition.

A social democratic narrative of British democracy (2011)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2012). A social democratic narrative of British democracy. Policy studies : the journal of the Policy Studies Institute, 33(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2011.601205

This article argues that social democracy as a political ideology has much to contribute to a narrative of British democracy. Democracy is the central tenet of social democracy and this distinguishes it from Marxist socialism. However, despite the La... Read More about A social democratic narrative of British democracy.

A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister (2009)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2009). A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister. Policy studies : the journal of the Policy Studies Institute, 30(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442870802576124

This article argues that Gordon Brown as prime minister is a puzzle of ideas and policy. This observation is most notably supported by his failure to espouse an ideological narrative for his government. Brown the intellectually literate Labour leader... Read More about A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister.